Randall Emmer Matson was born 29 October 1917. He received his B.S. (1945) in dairy husbandry from Iowa State College (University). As a student, Matson was a member of the Dairy Husbandry Club and participated in cattle judging and livestock shows

Matson attended Iowa State for three years before being drafted into the Army in 1941. During World War II, he served overseas in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was wounded in battle and was discharged on 2 January 1945. Matson returned to Iowa State to finish his degree under the GI Bill. Years later Matson wrote a book titled Somewhere in Italy (call no. D811 M37x 1994) documenting his experiences during the war.

Matson married Ruth Ringgenberg of Ames, Iowa. He died on 7 October 1999.

This collection (1938-1945) is comprised of one scrapbook of ephemera accumulated by Randall Matson while attending college at Iowa State. The materials include programs for Freshman Days (1938), Dairy Husbandry Club banquets (1939-1941), musical performances, Block and Bridle banquet (1940), Religious Emphasis Week (1941), Annual Agricultural Banquet (1941), VEISHEA performances, and graduation exercises (1945). News clippings regarding Dairy Husbandry Club banquets, Little International Livestock Shows, Iowa State livestock judging teams, the founding of 4-H, and friends' engagements and deaths are also in the scrapbook.

Other items in the scrapbook include a first place ribbon (1941) from the Little International Livestock Show, dance cards, college fee cards, Time magazine covers from World War II, and instructions for graduates from the Registrar's Office. Also included is a script for a short film clip on Iowa State in which Matson discusses his military service and college career.